New World's Symphony
by A Humble Wordsmith
Summary: If you're looking for an epic battle between good and evil with a bunch of color-named peeps, sorry. None of that. If you want some music references, some cool dialogue, or a different idea, then stay. Read. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey. This is my first fanfiction. I wanted to make something after reading some of the fanfiction here, and I wanted to make it different. I honestly have no idea where it's going to go, but I'm going to do my best to steer it away from clichéd waters. Feel free to review; I could always use some constructive criticism. Emphasis on constructive there. Don't torch me to death, ok?_

Chapter 1: Setting the Scene

Soft jazz played in my left ear. I breathed in time with the music. My partner, Gallade, swung his bladed arms as he sauntered along next to me. It was a fine day, truly. The sky was a beautiful azure color; the air was somewhat crisp; the leaves on the trees were just turning a lovely golden color. A great day to start an adventure…

Pity it wasn't me who would be doing the adventuring. Behind me huddled a group of 12-year olds fresh from Professor Oak's lab. Each clutched a Pokéball containing their new Pokémon in his/her meaty fist. None of them had been outside Pallet Town before. All were terrified.

All, seemingly, except one. A bold-faced little girl looked around her with awe and excitement. The Squirtle she carried in her arms seemed to share her attitude. She looked at me- I could see her out of the corner of my eye- and marched up to tug on my elbow.

"Hey." I pretended not to hear.

"Hey!" She slapped my ribs. I winced and looked down.

"Yes?"

"Mister, where are we going?" She was cute, really. I shouldn't've been rude. Gallade seemed to think so too and he nudged my shoulder gently. I nodded and turned off the music. "Well, I'm taking you to Viridian City."

"Is it far?"

"No, not very. It's a nice place. You'll like it. Good opportunity to get to know your Squirtle better." She beamed and squeezed the little turtle to her chest tighter. Squirtle seemed to smile a little through the pain.

A thought seemed to strike the little girl. "Mister, why are you here? You seem… old to be just starting out like us." She gestured toward the less-frightened children behind her.

My mind flashed back to an article in the Pallet Post a year ago. "Ace Trainers Release Pokémon!" it blared. "Pallet Town-Viridian City route overrun by Pidgeots and Raticates!" I guess a couple of trainers had felt bad about capturing Pokémon and decided to let them go… They were quoted in the article as to having been persuaded by a Team something-or-other. Phantasm? Orgasm? I'd forgotten… I snapped back to the present. "This road is filled with powerful Pokémon. I'm here to make sure you don't get hurt."

"Oh." She put down her Squirtle and pondered this. The turtle rubbed his midriff thankfully and struck up a conversation with Gallade. "But… but why aren't you out adventuring?"

I winced at the pangs from my memory. Gallede frowned and looked over with concern; I waved him away. _I'm OK_, I thought to myself. _It's behind me now._ I gave the girl a weak smile. "It's a long story."

She giggled happily. "Great! I love stories!"

I sighed. This girl wouldn't be put off. Very well, then. "When I was around your age, I too was due to start my personal adventure. When I'd got to the lab, however, Professor Oak was clean out of Bulbasaurs, Charmanders, and Squirtles. I couldn't go into the world without a Pokémon, so I had to wait until the next month, when the new shipment came in. In the interim, I volunteered at the Junior Rangers outpost in Pallet Town. I looked after the Pokémon the Rangers didn't take with them on their missions. It was fun, a nice summer job. I enjoyed playing with Pokémon.

But one day, we took in a Pokémon no one at the ranch had seen before: a male Ralts. Ralts were rare in Kanto, and males even rarer. He was considered a mutant and shunned by the inhabitants of the town and their Pokémon. This guy here-" I lightly punched Gallade's shoulder- "was a leper." Gallade laughed and punched me back before reengaging the Squirtle in conversation. "I felt bad for him, a Pokémon without a trainer. He felt bad for me, a trainer without a Pokémon. We took each other in and have been partners ever since." I cut the story short and stared straight ahead, hoping the girl would take the hint.

She didn't. "Go on," she commanded.

Groaning inwardly, I continued. "So at the end of the month, Professor Oak handed out more Pokémon. He couldn't give a starter to a trainer with a Pokémon already- legal reasons- so he handed me my Pokédex and sent me on my way.

"When we arrived at Viridian City, I and Gallade- still a Ralts back then- did a bit of training and tried to continue on our journey. The Viridian Gym Leader blocked our way. He said only Pokémon native to Kanto could go into the Viridian Forest. I tried to explain to him that Ralts weren't an invasive specie, but he would have none of it. Ralts and I had to go back to Pallet Town.

"This was a black time for us. We were stuck in our hometown with nothing to do, and nowhere to go… So we trained. We trained and we trained and Ralts evolved into a Kirlia. When this route became dangerous, we volunteered to guide new trainers to Viridian City. One day, we guided an odd old man… He had a little Pikachu on his hat and kept rambling about wanting to "catch 'em all". He gave Kirlia a Dawn Stone as thanks, which he used and evolved into-" I turned to Gallade to tease him again, but I found he had stopped. He stood a few paces behind, staring into the bushes lining the side of the path.

In a flash, I shoved the little girl and her Squirtle behind me. "Go back to the others," I muttered. "Tell them to hide somewhere." She scampered back to the group.

Gallade sank into a raised combat stance, arm-swords raised at the ready, shifting his weight from foot to foot. The bushes began to rustle.

Suddenly, a large Pidgeot shot out of the undergrowth. It soared into the air looking at me in a mad fury, and shrieked something I couldn't understand. Gallade listened, and responded in a quiet voice that nonetheless carried to where the Pidgeot hovered. I knew he could be a very persuasive speaker. He gesticulated with his hands and pointed to the children in the trees. The Pidgeot's gaze seemed to soften a little. Finally, she chirruped a soft, melancholy goodbye and slowly flew away. I knew she was one of the Pokémon abandoned by the Ace Trainers, and felt nothing but pity. She must have thought I was her trainer…

Gallade sighed and turned to me. _Doesn't it just make you want to hit something?_ he said. I frowned and considered this. Pity, yes. Sadness, yes. But rage?

"You're rather violent today, Gallade." I joked as the children filed in behind us. He shrugged. _Meh. Just bored, I guess._

I nodded; I knew how he felt. I used to feel deep, painful longings when we first started this job. I'd learned to suppress those feelings…

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><p><em>Ooo, eerie, right? I just have Gallade talking in italics... It's just stupid having him say "Gallade lade gallade" and all that. More on its way, depending on how you like it...<em>

-Wordsmith


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello again... I realize I'm uploading this a little soon after my first chapter. I won't be able to keep up this pace, so I guess... Enjoy it while it lasts!_

_Thanks so much for the reviews! I really need to know how the story's going and what I'm missing; I'm always striving for improvement, so please, leave a quick review!_

_I understand we already covered this stuff in the first chapter and this POV may seem fanciful and random, but it seriously applies to the story._

_Thanks again for reading!_

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><p>Chapter 2: Observed by the Musketeers<p>

It was a beautiful day, more so in the forest than on the roads. Sunlight gently streamed through openings in the canopy, which had turned a wonderful gold color. Patches of yellow-green grass grew between the fallen leaves. A little brook babbled between mossy boulders. A Raticate scrabbled in the bushes for berries. Leaves crunched, and he raised his head. The Raticate tried to bare his fangs at the intruders, but scampered when he saw just who they were.

Four quadrupedal Pokémon walked into the clearing, chatting pleasantly. They seemed to be enjoying the cool autumn air, but carried that air about them that surrounded only the most gallant fighters. They were very different in appearance, but all had a keen but kindly eye. It was the sort of eye that could blaze at a coward one minute, and bow to a lady the next.

One of them, a grey, stout-looking one with bull-like horns, spoke. _Ah, Kanto. I do love this place. The humans here respect nature so much more._

Another Pokémon, a green, delicate-looking one with more laid-back horns nodded in agreement. _True, true, though they still capture our brothers. I can never forgive a human for such slavery._

A blue quadruped looked sharply at the green one. Dignified and straight-necked, it seemed an old veteran. _Peace, Virizion. I have seen much of the humans. They are not all bad, as you seem to think. The old ones maintain the traditions, though the younger ones seem hell-bent on destroying their world._

The final member of the group said nothing. It was a sprightly unicorn with a fluffy hat-like tuft on its head. At the moment, it seemed troubled. The jolly, stout one gave the unicorn a nudge. _Come now, young Keldeo, what ails you? You are not your usual merry self._

The one called Keldeo gave a puzzled smile. _Nothing, Terrakion, nothing. Merely the dreams of an idle mind. Tell me, Cobalion- _it turned suddenly to the veteran- _why are we here? You do not take us on pleasure-trips lightly._

Cobalion chuckled. _You see right through me, my young friend. Yes, this isn't just a vacation, though Arceus knows we need one. We are here on a peace-keeping mission._

_A peace-keeping mission? _Terrakion blinked. _But Kanto is quiet now. All signs of that lame Team Rocket disappeared years ago._

Virizion lifted his head and turned to face Cobalion. _Gone… but not forgotten. Am I right?_

The dignified Pokémon nodded slowly. _Yes, Virizion, I'm afraid so. Evil once again stalks the forests of Kanto. Nothing too evil, mind you. _It dipped its head. _We could deal with it easily. But we won't._

Terrakion arched a rocky brow. _We won't?_

_ We won't. _Cobalion shook its head firmly. _I think this would be an ideal opportunity to break in two new recruits. Well, almost recruits, _it amended quickly. _I mean, we haven't officially requested their services yet. But I think they'll accept._

Keldeo began, _Why do you think-_

Cobalion shushed him sharply. _Quiet! They are near now._

The quartet stood motionless in the foliage. A minute or so later, a precession of youths came into view. They all seemed to be clutching small Pokémon tightly to themselves. _Humans? Do we have to use __humans__? _Virizion groaned.

Keldeo frowned. _I'm sorry, Cobalion, but I don't seem the point in recruiting new trainers. Nothing against humans in general, of course; these just seem a bit too young._

Cobalion shushed them again. _Not the younger ones- the two leading the group._

An older trainer and a Gallade came into view in the front. The trainer seemed to be getting accosted by a fiery-looking young girl. The Gallade was having a casual conversation with a small Squirtle.

_Them? They're the worst of the lot! _Virizion exclaimed. _Why, that poor Gallade is probably one of hundreds of Pokémon enslaved to that maniac!_

Cobalion didn't reply. The hope was leaving his eyes as he watched. Teenage humans these days were all terrors, wasting energy fossilized Pokémon gave. He'd seen many a case of a kid bullying the Pokémon he caught into doing his bidding instead of offering them kindness and love. Maybe Virizion was right, he thought. Maybe this kid is just an enemy…

The Gallade suddenly stopped, staring at a bush on the opposite side of the road. _He senses something, _Keldeo whispered. The quartet strained to feel what the Gallade felt, but came up with nothing, but still the Psychic-type Gallade stared. His trainer noticed how his Pokémon was acting. He shunted the little girl and her Pokémon away to a safe hiding spot and murmured something to the Gallade, who slowly sank into a combat stance.

A Pidgeot exploded out of the undergrowth Gallade had been staring at. Her furious gaze locked on the trainer's. She shrieked, _You bastard! You abandoned me here! After all we'd been through together, you listened to that plumped-up fatass in Unova and immediately dumped me here! How could you? I loved you! I- I didn't want to go…_ Her shrieks ended in a sob. It was heartrending to listen to and none of the quartet remained unmoved; they all felt enormous pity for the abandoned Pidgeot.

So, apparently, did the trainer and his Pokémon. He looked at the Gallade, and the Gallade broke into speech. _Pidgeot, my friend never did you harm. Your story is indeed a piteous one, and both he and I feel nothing but sorrow for your woes, but he is not the human you search for. My friend would never do such a thing. We are not here to spite you, Pidgeot; we merely try to guide these younglings to the next city. _The Gallade indicated the children cowering behind trees and rocks. _If there is anything- anything- he or I may do for you to ease your pain, name it. Your tale breaks the hearts of all who hear it, and anyone would aid you in your quest._

The Pidgeot's gaze softened, and her anger seemed to have dissipated. _No, kind sir, you are right. I was mistaken. I see now this human is not my trainer. _She sighed. _There is nothing you can do for me, but thank you for the offer. Mine is a path I must fly alone. I apologize._ With that, her wings beat slowly and carried her away. The Gallade and the Trainer stared after her in silence until she went out of sight. They collected the children and continued walking on their path.

Virizion wiped its eyes on a low-hanging branch. _Well… The Gallade is a true scholar and a gentleman, I'll give you that, but I'm still not sure about the human._

Cobalion gave a nod. _I understand your doubts, my friend. But my beliefs are now strengthened. We shall follow the pair until their little group of children disperses. Then, we shall test him._

The quartet moved on, subtle, silent, mere shadows in the rustling forest behind the straggling children.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello again. I haven't posted in a while, so here's chapter 3! It's three times as long as the previous chapters, so enjoy!_

_I finally know where I'm going with this story. It's going to be different and (hopefully) awesome once the prologue-ish part finishes. Yes, this is a prologue of sorts; the characters are being introduced, and the story's setting and plot will become apparent, yada, yada... But right now, it's the prologue. As always, enjoy and review!_

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><p>Chapter 3: Into the Rocket's Flare<p>

Afternoon was just beginning to set in as we watched the last of the youngsters scurry into the Pokémon Center. "They're in the hands of Nurse Joy now," I remarked as we turned away.

_No hands more capable_, Gallade agreed.

I took a moment to absorb my surroundings. The air was fresh and pure, a little toward the chilly side, perhaps. The Pidgeot flapped their way home to warm nests somewhere; the sun lit their brown feathers in a marvelous way. Trees swayed gently in the autumn breeze. Viridian City was deserted; the sign proclaiming the gym leader was out was all that stirred. Most of the inhabitants were probably snug in their beds at home… I felt my eyes misting over. _"Home… They don't know how lucky they are," _I thought. Gallade's mind seemed to run on a parallel course; he rubbed his arm thoughtfully and a melancholy shine came to his eye. Neither of us had ever really had a home. We sorta lived off the charity of others, and would be gone by now if it wasn't for that gym leader… I looked back at the gym. That place had been closed for as long as I'd been alive. The windows were forever blacked out, the door locked tight, the signs on it flapping as usual…

Wait. Signs?

I looked again. Yep, there were two laminated sheets of paper on the door. But, surely…

"Gallade?"

_Hmm? _He shook himself out of his home-turned thoughts.

"How many signs are on the gym door?"

Without looking, Gallade replied, _One. Same as always._

I frowned. "Yeah, that's what I thought too… But check it out," I said, pointing a finger at the door. As Gallade turned to look, the music on my iPod changed mid-song to a voice I recognized from an old TV show: "Strange events indeed, but such occurrences are to be expected in… The Twilight Zone." Eerie music played. "What?" I muttered. "I don't even like the Twilight Zone." The music I'd been listening to came back on.

Gallade turned back to face me. _Hey, man, you're right… Let's check it out!_

I smiled at Gallade's curiosity, but I kept thinking about that weird music. "Ok, yeah, sure. Nothing better to do, anyhow."

We trotted over to the door of the Viridian City gym. About two-thirds of the way down the door, at eye level, read the old familiar sign: GYM CLOSED- OUT GETTING MILK. Now that I thought about it, it was pretty weird that the gym leader had been getting milk for over fifteen years now…

Halfway down the door was a new sign, written in a flowery, old-looking font:

_Gallade and David. We require your services. Don this apparel and do as your spirits guide you._

_ - The Fleur-de-Lis_

At the foot of the door was a bundle of clothes. I saw a black shirt with a red R on the chest; plain and unadorned black pants; and a thuggish black cap with a smaller crimson R. _Isn't that the old Team Rocket uniform? _asked my befuddled pal.

I shrugged. The Rockets had disappeared years ago and faded into the footnotes of history. I took a closer look at the signature on the note. "The Fleur-de-Lis…" I mused. "I've heard that term before, in one of those great literary classics, I think. But which was it…?"

Gallade shrugged. _Put on the clothes. If anything, it'll be a good Halloween costume._

I laughed and pulled the shirt and pants over my weatherbeaten clothes. As I tugged the brim of the cap over my head, the door suddenly beeped and ejected a robotic scanner-looking thing. I felt Gallade jump in shock. The eye-appendage started looking me over, pausing at the logos on my hat and shirt. I blinked and licked my lips.

It stopped abruptly and beeped again. ADMITTANCE GRANTED, it droned. The scanner popped back into the door. I heard a few bolts turn, and the door swung open.

Hell greeted us with a "how do you do" and a slap on the back.

Terrifyingly loud screamo music blasted from hidden speakers, knocking Gallade and I back a few steps. A massive, spark-emitting, towerlike machine attached to a trough spewed Pokéballs. A hundred or so people dressed like me sorted through the capsules while they screamed along with the singer. As I watched, a Pokéball broke open and a confused-looking Onix appeared. His bewilderment turned swiftly to rage, and he roared at the people around him. Gallade had time to translate _What the hell- who are you? Where am-_ before jets of water blasted from the ceiling and soaked the enraged Pokémon. The Onix soon fainted, and three forklifts carried him away. It had the feeling of being well-rehearsed, as if the same process happened many times a day.

When the water shut off, I noticed a banner proclaiming TEAM ROCKET FOREVER hanging from the ceiling. "I guess they never did disband…" I whispered as loud as I could over the "music". "They were just dormant…"

A passing Rocket stopped to glare at us. "Shouldn't you be doing something?" he shouted over the music.

"Yeah," I shouted back, my mind scrambling for cover. "We're just… Taking it in. What is this?" I quickly asked, hoping to draw attention away from us and indicating the sparking machine.

The grunt's face took on a dreamy look. "This here is our pride and joy," he declared. "You know how you can store Pokémon via PC and the Pokéballs are sent wirelessly to other places?" I nodded, pretending to understand. "Well, this baby intercepts the Pokéballs mid-flight and drops them off here. We get the Pokémon other stooges train! Great stuff." The pride suddenly dropped from his eye, replaced with suspicion. "How did you not notice this before?"

"Um…" I scrambled again. "This wasn't here when we left; we've been abroad."

This answer didn't satisfy him. "We?" The inclusion of Gallade made him more suspicious. I guess they didn't like to treat their Pokémon well here…?

"Yeah. Me and my Pokémon… whom I stole from some punk trainer in Sinnoh." I added. "Yep, I sure do hate this sack of meat here…" I shot a _go along with it_ look at Gallade as I shoved him. He covered his annoyance with a malnourished and neglected Pokémon impression.

It fooled the grunt, at least. "Abroad, eh? I've always wanted to go to Sinnoh…" His eyes glazed over. While he daydreamed, I tried to dig up a fact- any fact- about the Rockets I'd learned over the years.

"Is that… uh… Giovanni guy still in charge?"

The Rocket came to with a bump. "Yeah, Giovanni's still the Boss. You've been out of it for a while, haven't you?"

"Um. Yes. Yes, I have. We still going for world domination and all that?"

He scratched his head. "Well, yeah, see, that's the part I'm worried about. I don't know if we are. I mean, we have all these strong Pokémon, our ranks keep swelling every month, we could probably take over Kanto easy, but the Boss's been unusually cautious. I just don't know." He shrugged a _what can you do? _shrug. I nodded in fake sympathy.

"Yeah, I hear you, man. Um, listen, I need to go file a report with the Boss. You know where I can find him?"

The grunt pointed out a door branching off the main room. I thanked him and knocked on the indicated door. A tired, depressed voice responded. "Come in."

I turned the knob and went in and came face-to-face with the Boss of Team Rocket.

Giovanni was a rather short man, with a weak jaw and a receding hairline. What hair remained was cut short, displaying his round head. There were lines on his face caused by years of smirking evilly, no doubt, but at the moment they were not in use. He seemed weary, and had his Italian loafer-encased feet up on the mahogany desk. He looked up as I came in. "Who're youse?"

I stopped analyzing his appearance and concentrated on looking like a mindless tool. "I'm one of the Rockets. I've been abroad in Sinnoh and I wanted to make my report." I stuck to my story and prayed he didn't have a roster of his men.

He made a dismissive gesture with his smallish hand. "Ah, whatever. I don't care about dat." He turned his attention to Gallade. "This yours?"

"Yeah." I spat the syllable like a punk.

Giovanni squinted at my partner, put his feet down, and leaned in for a closer look. " 'S a good-guy Pokémon, innit?"

"Yeah, I took it from some goody-two-shoes while I was gone." I shrugged like it was no big deal. Gallade did a good job looking dejected and sulky.

"Wow. I'm-a impressed." The Rocket Boss put his feet back up and closed his eyes, as though bored.

I decided to use the lull in conversation to find out what was going on. "Uh, Boss?"

Without opening his eyes, he sighed, "Don't call me that."

I blinked. "Why not?"

"Only my Rockets call me Boss. Yes," he said heavily as Gallade and I recoiled, "I know your true identity, you will-a never leave here alive, I will-a destroy you, blah blah blah. Listen, bambino, your acting skills are terrible. I-a knew from the moment you twose walked in you wasn't no Rockets. You sauntered wrong. You showed too much compassion for your Pokémon. And, a-most damning of all, I never send my Rockets anywhere outside of Kanto." He got up slowly, but with more fatigue than menace, it seemed.

Gallade sank into a combat stance anyway. I decided to offer a cliché: "You'll never get away with this!" I injected as much bravado as I could.

Giovanni surprised us both with a sarcastic laugh. "Get away with what, kid?"

"Your… your Pokémon stealing scheme?"

He laughed again. "Listen, bambino, dat's-a no scheme. Dat's me keeping my men busy while I try and come up with something evil. Those Pokéballs? They's all mine. I caught da Pokémon legitimately. Some-a da Pokéballs are just empty. My men sort them inna chutes, which carry da Pokéballs back up to da trough. Dere's nothin' illegal here." He turned his back to us.

"So, there's no scheme?"

"Nope."

I thought. "No evil plots for world domination?"

He cursed. "Kid, stop rubbing it in."

I thought some more. "So… So you're just a sad little stereotypical villain without any sort of scheme to enact your brilliance?" He snarled and turned around, but I cut him off. "What happened to that brilliant evil genius who almost succeeded in bringing Kanto to its knees?" I tried to remember the history books I'd read. "From what I understand, your organization was great. Fierce. Mighty. Ruthless. You were their brilliant leader, a strategist and a crime lord. A kid managed to overthrow you because you underestimated him and his friends. You could've still been a force. But you disappeared instead…"

He turned to face me, eyes sparking with a cold, grey anger. "First of all, dat was my father. Many years've passed since his defeat at the hands of dose meddlers. Dat fall killed my daddy; he never recovered. Da organization passed on to me. We coulda still been great, but in da time Daddy was on his sickbed, new worlds was discovered. New, more powerful, more advanced crime syndicates sprung up. We- we, da Rockets, who everybody feared- was little more den jokes, and still are. What can we do?" He suddenly shouted, but repeated more quietly, "What can I do?" His voice broke a little.

"You could stop being evil for a change." A voice spoke, just as quietly as he did. I saw Gallade looking at me in surprise. My voice? "You could resume your place as the mightiest gym leader in Kanto. You could start loving your Pokémon again. You could dismiss your cronies, and let Team Rocket rest in peace. Build a new legacy, one untarnished by crime."

Music started to play in my earbud, though my iPod was turned off: "How to Save a Life" by the Fray echoed in my head. "_Weird_," I thought, but I had no time to ponder it. Giovanni had looked up, and his face wore an expression I couldn't define. "A… A gym leader again?" He tasted the words in his mouth. "I dunno, kid. I haven't battled competitively in… I don't know, fifteen years? Twenty years?"

"It's like riding a bike." I pressed my advantage, though was surprised to hear my words. Gallade gave me a shocked look; I'm not very prone to giving advice to corrupt crime lords. "I'll show you. Battle us. Here. Now. See how you feel afterwards." I could see Gallade mouthing _What the hell are you doing?_

The Rocket Boss still had that undefinable expression. He and I locked eyes and stayed that way for a while. I could see storm clouds battling in those black eyes of his. I wondered what he saw in mine. Finally, the smoke cleared. He blinked, and gave a smirk. "You're on, kid." He opened the door I had entered through. He roared into the room, "Rockets! Stop dat music!" Quiet instantly came to the gym. When the echoes died down, he continued. "Youse about to witness da first gym battle Viridian City has seen in more den fifty years!" I peeked my head around the door to see the reactions. The Rockets seemed stunned. Some heads turned and whispered to their neighbors, but they mostly stayed silent. The grunts sensed a change in the winds. Giovanni continued, "This young man and I-" Here he swept his hand at me, "-are about to fight for da future of Team Rocket. If he wins, I'll know we's finished as an organization, and dere's no point in flogging a dead Rapidash no more. I'll know dere's room for me to improve myself both as a person and a trainer. If I win, I'll know I am still strong and dat we will be able to succeed." The words fell like rocks onto the ears of the assembled Rockets. When Giovanni received no response, he turned to face me. "Very well den, Il Piccolo Uomo, let us fight."

I looked at Gallade. Gallade looked at me with a smile. I nodded and clapped him on the shoulder. He jogged out a few meters and sank into his combat stance. On nthe other side, Giovanni wound up and tossed a Pokéball into his half. A massive dinosaur-like thing with a pouch on her stomach popped out. I recognized her from books I'd read. "Kangiskhan," I shouted to Gallade. He nodded; that was all he needed to know.

Giovanni snickered. "Hell, dis'll be easy. You're Pokémon's puny. Kangiskhan, Comet Punch!"

The Kangiskhan rushed toward Gallade with a glowing fist. Just before it swung, I called out, "Counter, Gallade."

Gallade had been awaiting this. The shining claw flew in; Gallade diverted it with a strong slap, and shot out a strong right cross to the Kangiskhan's windpipe. The Pokémon gurgled a little, closed its eyes, and fainted.

Giovanni blinked and muttered something in Italian. "Kangiskhan, return!" He held out the Pokéball, and the Kangiskhan was transferred into the capsule in a cloud of red data. "Ok, bring this shrimp down, Nidoking!"

A large, bulky, purple creature with a horn burst out of the thrown Pokéball. It unleashed a roar that shook the floorboards. "Shadow Claw!" Giovanni shouted. A cloud of black energy swirled around the Nidoking's right arm, and it charged.

"Dodge and use Psycho Cut, Gallade." The blades on Gallade's arms extended and glowed purple. When the Nidoking attacked, Gallade spun with the blow, stuck out his arm, and hacked a horizontal line across the Nidoking's midsection. A grumble escaped from Giovanni's Pokémon, and it toppled. Gallade remained unmoving until Giovanni returned Nidoking.

"Well, bambino, this is very impressive, but I think you're done now. Machamp! Go!" Giovanni laughed as he threw out the last Pokéball on his belt. An oversized, bluish Pokémon with four bulging arms appeared. He cracked his knuckles and grinned.

"Watch yourself, Gallade," I warned my friend. The Machamp suddenly rushed in without any command being given and started throwing punches. Gallade had to dip and weave to avoid the attacks. "_Wait for it, Gallade,_" I thought. Gallade nodded while he danced, as though he could read my thoughts. "Oh. Duh. Psychic-type. Of course he can read my thoughts," I muttered. Eventually, the Machamp punched low, aiming at Gallade's right knee. In a flash, Gallade's arms glowed purple and he flipped over the Machamp's head, using the low punch as a springboard. His blades crossed over his opponent's throat, and passed through them without leaving a mark. The Machamp choked, staggered, and dropped to his knees.

Giovanni returned his Pokémon, stunned. Silence echoed loudly in the gym. At last, "How to Save a Life" stopped.

Gallade walked back to me, slowly, his feet tapping against the wood floor. It was the only sound. I gave Gallade a supportive nod and a bro hug, and we turned to face the sea of Rockets. A herd of agape, blank faces stared back. It was pretty awkward for a while. At last, the Rocket Boss started clapping. Slowly. Like they do in the Godfather, with a deliberate, mocking air. The clapping grew faster, however; faster, counting quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenths, a steady, rising, powerful crescendo, and symphonies played, grand, beautiful symphonies of power, strength, celebrating victory, nature, and the essences of life itself…

I frowned and pulled out the earbud. The music stopped, but Giovanni kept walking and clapping. He was close to us now, and as he approached, he stuck out his hand. I blinked and looked at him; sensing no trick, I shook it. "Dank youse. Dank youse very much. I know what path we oughta take." He turned to his Rockets. "Get outta here, everyone. We's finished as a team, I know for sure now. I appreciate your dedication, but what my daddy started, I must end. Go join some other organization." When none of them moved, he shooed them with his hands. "Go on. Get out."

Slowly, disbelievingly, the black-clad henchmen filed out. Within a few minutes, the gym was empty. Giovanni sighed. "Dat hurt, but I think Daddy woulda wanted it dat way." He stared into the middle distance for a while, then turned to me. "Youse a good kid. I haven't given one of dese out in a while, but…" He produced an asparagus-shaped pin from an inner pocket and dropped it into my palm. "An Earth Badge. It shows you beat me. You should collect the rest of the badges here. I didn't let you go through before because- well, I was evil, but now, you can go with my blessing if you want." I pinned the badge to my lapel and thanked Giovanni, though I was pretty pissed about having wasted a year of my life because of the whims of a washed-up crime lord… Ah well.

Gallade and I waved to Giovanni on our way out.

* * *

><p><em>I'm sorry about the battle scene, guys. I tried my best to avoid battle scenes, but it just seemed unavoidable here. <em>

_I always liked Giovanni. While all the other villains seemed so... pointless and idiotic, Giovanni kept it real. I hope you enjoyed the little monologues he had._

_Anyway, the storyline begins to slowly grind itself into gear next chapter, so until then, read and review, please!_

_-Wordsmith_


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